The LBCC is the largest annual, construction industry yachting regatta in Europe. The latest regatta held last week (14 - 16 September 2006) was the most successful to date with 235 boats taking part and over 2,500 people racing.
The LBCC is the largest annual, construction industry yachting regatta in Europe. The latest regatta held last week (14 - 16 September 2006) was the most successful to date with 235 boats taking part and over 2,500 people racing. Entries this year included 35 new company entries, one of these, Armstrong floor products won the highest placed newcomer.
Good winds saw some exciting racing in the Solent and on Saturday the course set took many of the boats to no man's land fort in the Eastern Solent.
The overall winner of the Little Britain Challenge Cup 2006 was The Amey Love Shack (Amey Group, a leading provider of support services in the UK) and the First Overall Cruising Yacht Tarkett Sommer Trophy was won by Sailplane (Gratte Brothers Group Limited, one of the UK's largest, independently owned building services companies).
The 3 day event is run by and for the construction industry and teams comprise contractors, property developers, agents, architects, clients, engineers and trade contractors. This year Friday night was a Wild West Theme. Companies were invited to dress the part and Cowes was adrift with cowboys, Indians and Dolly Parton look-alikes.
Prizes were awarded on Friday night for the best fancy dress, the best and longest bucking bronco rider and for best line dancing technique. Many men got in to the spirit of the Wild West theme dressing as girls and the Pascall Watson crew were dressed as red Indians and Pocahontas'. On Saturday night a charity auction was held at the black tie gala dinner.
Money raised throughout the event is shared amongst many charities including the Jubilee Sailing Trust, Cirdan Sailing Trust, the Paralympic Sailing Team and the Ellen MacArthur Trust.
The LBCC Regatta is based on the successful formula of a short series of races in the Central Solent area. The 2006 schedule included the usual two short races on Friday and one longer race on Saturday. However, in an effort to mitigate against unpredictable weather, the Thursday race was no longer a "practice" race but one that counted towards the overall points. Thus the series now comprises four races, with the first race, race 1, on the Thursday afternoon. All races have equal status but boats are allowed to discard their worst score if they sail all four races.
The Royal Yacht Squadron organises the racing and setting of the courses - giving all competitors the added excitement of Squadron line starts.
